Ex-Junior Springbok Corné Weilbach is heading north, Edinburgh have added yet another Scottish-qualified back to their squad for next season and Red Roses captain Zoe Stratford is set for a cross-PWR move.
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Corné Weilbach heads north
Former Junior Springbok and Western Province prop Corné Weilbach will head to Saracens for the start of the 2026/27 season, the North London outfit have confirmed.
The tighthead made his Currie Cup debut back in 2022 against the Blue Bulls and has also featured in the Investec Champions Cup for the Stormers.
In moving to Saracens, he becomes the latest Currie Cup player to land a deal in the north, following Harlequins recruit Ruan ‘Sampie’ Swiegers and Glasgow Warriors-bound Ruwald van der Merwe in doing so.
Commenting on the move, Weilbach said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining Saracens.
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“It’s a club with a huge history and a culture of excellence, and I’m looking forward to learning, growing and giving everything I can for the team and supporters.”
Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall, added: “Corné is a young prop with real potential.
“We believe joining Saracens will provide a fantastic environment for him to continue his development and grow into a top-quality tighthead in the years ahead.”
Latest Scottish-qualified back heads to URC
Edinburgh’s recruitment drive has gone up another gear, with Kienan Higgins putting pen to paper on a one-year deal with the Capital outfit.
He becomes the latest Scottish-qualified back to join the club next season and follows brother Riley to the club in the process. Higgins also returns to Edinburgh for a second spell, after a brief stint back in January.
The centre boasts decent experience across the globe, too, spending time with National Provincial Championship (NPC) side Hawke’s Bay and Major League Rugby (MLR) outfit New England Free Jacks.
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Commenting on his return to Scotland, Higgins said: “I am absolutely delighted to be coming back to Edinburgh. I loved my time here earlier in the season and I can’t wait to see the squad again – there are some brilliant people at this club.
“It’s obviously an incredible bonus that I get to come back alongside Riley; to play alongside my brother at the same club is something pretty special.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time with the Free Jacks and I’m grateful to everyone there for the experience, but Edinburgh is where I want to be. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in this summer and being back in the city.”
Edinburgh head coach, Sean Everitt, added: “We really enjoyed working with Kienan during his time here and we’re delighted to welcome him back this summer.
“He made a strong impression during his spell with us and we’re excited about what he can bring to the squad on a longer-term basis. He will add further competition in what is already a very competitive midfield group.”
Zoe Stratford completes cross-PWR move
Red Roses World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford will swap Gloucester-Hartpury for Sale Sharks next season, after agreeing a move to the North West outfit.
Stratford, who missed the recent Six Nations campaign due to her pregnancy, also follows fellow Gloucester-Hartpury and Red Roses star Tatyana Heard to Sale for next season, and joins husband and Sharks women’s coach Luke at the club in the process.
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The forward brings heaps of international experience to her new employers, boasting 69 Test caps for the Red Roses and starring in the World Cup triumph.
Commenting on her move to Sale, Stratford said: “I feel ready to take the next step in my career and, being pregnant, I really want to bring my child up as a Northerner. I haven’t played competitive rugby in the North since I was 15 or 16, and so coming back and playing up in the North is something that I’m super passionate about.
“Luke absolutely loves it at Sale. He loves the whole vibe of the club, he loves Michelle’s ethos around the place, how much she drives the standards, and how passionate she is about the women’s side especially.
“It’s been brilliant to see how much investment Sale have put into the women’s team and it’s something I can’t wait to be a part of.
“I can see in that Sale team that they want to play for each other and you can tell they have a good time off the pitch as well. They have a real camaraderie and it’s exciting to join a club that holds that in such high regard.
“I’ve enjoyed success at Gloucester and with England and hopefully I can bring that experience of winning and help build that belief into the team because I’ve got no doubt we can achieve big things.”
Sharks head coach, Tom Hudson, added: “When I joined the club just over 12 months ago, I spoke with Michelle and Katy about the objective of this project being to build a truly elite and world-class rugby environment here in the North of England.
“We have made great progress this season but we must keep improving and keep moving forward.
“I think it is a real statement of intent from us as a club and testament to what we are building that Zoe, a former world player of the year and the Red Roses World Cup-winning captain, wants to join us while she is still in the prime of her career.”
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